Claims Chief Was Misleading

West Hartford Police Chief Tracey Gove's op-ed "Police, Bias & Civil Rights" on April 27 is misleading at best, dissembling at worst, or both. Gove fails to point out that:

Glanville was accosted by West Hartford police at his home in Hartford.

A West Hartford officer approached Glanville in an accusatory manner.

The West Hartford ordinance in question bars solicitation for the sale of goods, not for services such as snow shoveling.

The alleged offense was merely an ordinance violation carrying a $25 maximum fine, not a criminal offense.

Whether West Hartford police have authority to accost Hartford residents at their homes for an ordinance violation in West Hartford.

West Hartford police, when they did actually find the alleged perpetrator in West Hartford, released him with a warning.

West Hartford police never knew of the alleged perpetrator's criminal background until after Glanville was accosted -- yet the chief's op-ed brings up this highly irrelevant and prejudicial information.

Mayors of Hartford and West Hartford should jointly denounce inappropriate intimidation in Hartford of its residents of color by West Hartford police, review the authority of police of one town to accost citizens in other towns for alleged ordinance violations, and set actions to improve relations between the towns.